Gay teen Jack is hiding out in a bully’s car in the hopes of retrieving his backpack when he’s joined by another stowaway. Brittany, who wants to be called Brandon, is a transgendered classmate also on the run. When the bully crashes his car, it’s the start of a journey that will bring Jack and Brandon together in the hopes of finding a new future.<br><br>Along the way, they meet Buster, a dog that saves their lives; Alvin, who is heading to Denver to sell his car and offers them a ride; and Ducky, a loud-mouthed but loveable woman who is apparently more than just Alvin’s friend.<br><br>When a tornado hits, Jack and Brandon have a chance to prove their mettle and show what they are made of. But is there happiness at the end of their journey?

Breaking into Cars

We would have finished it all off except when we were almost done with our second sandwiches, Busted burped, and ate the rat. “I’m done,” I said.


We both looked at the food and started putting the leftovers back in the bag. “I’ll carry it,” said Brandon, who actually had nothing with him to carry. I had my backpack but it held school books, dirty gym clothes, homework, and my science experiment on how fast mold grows on cheese. Oh God no.


Behind me, unnoticed, Busted was chewing on my backpack. He’d torn a huge hole in the side. My old gym shorts had a few more holes in them now, and the science experiment was history.


“Let’s go,” Brandon said, stretching. “I don’t like being this close to home. How far have we come, anyhow?”


Chapter 5